Afterlife: Into the Unknown
by Lemon Out
Summary: What happens to George when he passes over? A story about what happened behind the scenes in Series 4. Set from s04e01 onwards.
1. Passing over

Chapter 1:

George looked around the corridor he now appeared to be in, eyes taking a while to adjust after the glare of the bright light. He heard a soft clicking noise behind him and, adrenaline running hot through his veins, he whirled around only to be greeted with.. nothing. It took him a short moment to realize that it must have been the door closing behind him. He chuckled quietly before muttering to himself in an attempt to calm down. Turning back around slowly, he glanced up the corridor Nothing. He shifted his eyes to look down the corridor instead. Still nothing. He sighed despondently, resting against the wall as he tried to decide what to do next. A few seconds passed as he waited in the silence and he was just about to have a mini-George-meltdown when he felt it. A calm, fuzzy, warm feeling restoring the wholeness that he had lacked and so desperately craved recently. His head jerked up, a huge smile already plastered on his face and looked eagerly back up the long stretch of hallway, eyes searching. About halfway up the corridor he heard a door creak open as he pushed himself off of the wall and brushed himself off. He stared studiously at the area from where the sound had come from, breath held in anticipation and saw a head appear around though the dimness of the corridor prevented him getting a good look. There wasn't long to wait until he got the confirmation he needed.

"George!" a familiar voice half cried-half screamed, her features a blur as she ran down the corridor. "George!"

George felt the tears that had been building since he'd walked through the door spill over onto his cheeks. He wanted to run to her, to meet her half-way, but his feet were firmly rooted to the spot and all he could do was watch. He opened his mouth to speak, to say anything, but the words jammed at the back of his throat and so he shut it again hastily. His cheeks were starting to ache from the smile that was stretched across his face. Here she was. The woman he loved with all of his being. Nina.

"Oh, George!" Nina kept running, the walls a mere blur in her peripheral vision as she pelted forward. Almost there, she was almost there. Five more paces, four, three, two.. one.. she jumped up into George's waiting arms, wrapping her hands around his neck as tightly as she possibly could.

"Nina," George whimpered, circling his arms around her waist as he burrowed his face into her neck. "My Nina, my Nina.." his heart felt as if it were racing and the lump of stone that had been nestling in the pit of his stomach disappeared. "I'm so sorry, Nina."

"Shhhh," Nina replied softly, her voice trembling slightly as she struggled to maintain any sense of bravado. "It's okay baby, it's okay."

They remained there for a long while trying to calm down enough to part. Nina shifted slightly causing George to look up confused, his eyes sparkling as he saw his gorgeous Nina move in for a long, lingering, tender kiss. Even though he wanted to stay in this embrace forever, he also wanted to check that she was okay, that she'd been.. well.. coping. As much as someone could 'cope' under these circumstances anyway. He gently pulled his lips away from hers and placed her down on the floor as he searched for the right words to say. However, he didn't get a chance to say anything as suddenly Nina slapped him. Hard. "Ow!" he squealed, looking at his girlfriend as though she had lost her mind. "Uh, what was _that_ for?" He placed his hand on his arm, rubbing it slightly, knowing that if he looked now, there would be a bloody handprint.

"What was it _for_?" Nina spluttered, grabbing his free hand and yanking him up the corridor. "What do you _think_ it's for?"

"I don't know! Forgive me for saying, but I was expecting a nicer first few moments together than you slapping me. Huh!" He trudged along after Nina. Bloody hell, he'd forgotten how strong she was. After waiting for a couple of seconds he concluded that Nina wasn't going to answer him just yet and he certainly didn't want to anger her further by saying anything else so they continued up the corridor in silence until they approached the room that Nina had come out of. She stopped suddenly outside of the door that he hadn't noticed causing him to slam into the back of her which in turn made her turn to him with an even bigger glare. "S-sorry" he muttered, wondering where exactly this happy reunion had gone.

"After you," Nina said in a clipped tone as she gave the door a shove open. She could still feel the tears warm on her cheeks as she followed George through the door.

"Whoa.." George murmured as he looked around the room. He turned around on the spot, taking in the room around him. "This- this is our bedroom.. I mean.. _how_?" He glanced over to Nina, her stern look reminding him of the situation at present.

"We can talk about that later." Nina said quietly before striding over to George and slapping him again. Ignoring his mumblings and moans she stared at him. "What," another slap, "Are," another one, "You," and another, "_Doing_," again, "Here?" she hit him once more.

"Ow! _Nina_!" George whined, his brow furrowed in confusion as he hurriedly took a step back. "What do you mean 'What am I doing here'? Oh God, are you in shock? I _died_ Nina." He suddenly panicked at the thought of having to break the news to Nina about his demise. She must be in a really bad way. Trying to ignore the stinging sensation in his arm- it _really_ hurt- he took a step forward again so he was right in front of her.

"I _know_ you _died_, George. I've been watching you on the TV thing," she gestured briefly towards the television opposite the bed that George hadn't noticed. "I _mean_ why the _Hell_ have you come here?! Why didn't you stay with our _baby_?!" She slapped him again. "I don't know why you're looking so put-upon, we're ghosts, we can't feel pain! It's all in your mind." Her face softened as she saw confusion flicker over his face. "You'll get used to it." She looked up into his eyes, momentarily forgetting just what she was angry at. Only momentarily though, she was _furious_ with him for leaving her baby. "So? Are you going to tell me exactly _what_ you are playing at?"

"Nina.. I-" he looked around bewildered, the fact that he was in an exact replica- with the addition of the television- of the bedroom at Honolulu Heights wasn't helping him think coherently either. "She's not alone! I wouldn't just leave her by herself! She's with Annie."

Nina snorted. "George, I love Annie. Love her. But she's a _ghost_. You don't think people might get a bit curious when they see a bloody pram pushing itself around the streets of Barry? Or what about when she's walking? 'Oh look, that toddler is walking! Hmm.. she's by herself.. should we call someone? No, she's probably older than she looks!'" Her voice rose higher with each word, her face flushing with emotion.

"Tom's there too," George soothed, knowing that he'd made the right decision but not knowing how to explain it to Nina so that she understood too. "And you _know_ Annie will look after her. She loves the baby. And the baby loves her."

"Tom's a child himself! Jesus Christ, George. She might as well be there by herself. First I left her and now you have too." Nina bowed her head, willing the tears away.

"Nina.. Nina look at me." George reached a hand out and lifted her chin until their eyes met. "My door appeared. They.. they knew E- the baby- would be safe with Annie and Tom. I would never have left her if I didn't think.. no, if I didn't _know_ that she would be safe and happy."

"Why didn't you reject the door? Annie did it loads of times. You could have stayed with her." Nina asked softly, not quite ready to let go of the fight regarding her daughter.

"Because I need you Nina. I love you. I- I- I just.. I couldn't be there knowing you might be here. And if I thought that _our_ daughter would suffer by me going, I wouldn't have. But I wouldn't be anywhere near the father she needed me to be." He choked on the last word. "I'm a ghost, just like Annie. All the 'issues' Annie will face, I would have faced too. And I needed to be here.. with you."

Nina looked at George for a long time in silence. The tears were still on the brink and she didn't quite know what to think. Slowly she raised her hand, smiling slightly as she saw George try not to wince, and placed her hand around the back of his head, pulling him in for a kiss. That kiss explained more than words ever could have and they continued to unspoken, tender conversation for a minute or so. When she pulled away, she stepped closer so that she was pressed up against George and rested her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. She could feel him let out a long breath and hold her close.

"She's called Eve." George said quietly, feeling his heart constrict as he waited for Nina to respond. There was a long silence, so long that George wondered if she had heard him at all.

"I know." was all she could say, tears once again streaking down her face as she clutched George tighter and sobbed for the daughter who would never know her. "It's.. perfect."


	2. A new world

Chapter 2:

Nina watched George as he lay beside her on the bed. They'd calmed down from their earlier reunion and were now sat in silence, the television on mute showing Eve laid in her cot, both wondering how to proceed. George kept reaching up to touch Nina's face, he'd start to say something and then abruptly cut off, seemingly as lost for words as Nina was. They looked at each other for a long moment, trying to take in all that had happened.

"I.." George started once more, watching as Nina turned her face to him with a slight smile on her lips as if amused, like she used to be, when George stumbled over his words. "You.. you look exactly the same as when I last saw you.. God... Nina!"

Nina lifted her hand and stroked George's cheek softly. "That's kinda what happens when you die, George! Same clothes, same make-up, same everything. Trust me, if I knew that morning would be _the_ morning I would have at _least_ made the effort!" she watched as her boyfriend's face crumpled in pain. "Shhhh, it's okay. It really is. I mean, it takes a while to get used to.. this.." she gestured at nothing in particular, trying to encapsulate everything. "You have bad days and okay days, that's just how it is."

"But.. look at you," George replied, his voice shaking. He followed his own advice, his eyes trailing over her. She was in her favourite comfy green combats with her yellow vest top which covered her green vest top and a light blue denim jacket. "I think you look beautiful. It's just.. surreal seeing you looking exactly the same as when you did... when you did.. _then_. The way I saw you that morning.. before you left.. is almost all I have seen since you've been gone. And.. here you are.." He kept looking, his mind wandering. Nina sat back on the bed and watched him as his face expressed differing emotions. All of this was so hard to take in. It was a new world, one that he knew nothing about. "What.. happened? When you-" he stuttered, "when you..."

"When I died?" Nina said simply, her eyes searching George's. She knew this must be difficult for him, like it had been for her, and she wanted to help him through this. She waited for him to nod before she continued. "I.. I don't remember a lot of it. One minute I saw them.. close a circle around me.. and then, um.. nothing really." She wouldn't usually condone lying, but she knew that George would not be able to cope if she admitted that she remembered everything, every thought, every feeling, every shout and scream and cry and plead that emanated from her. She could tell him some other time, well.. they had eternity, so that piece of news could wait. She felt George's eyes on her so she hurried forth and continued. "Next thing I remember, there is a door. And I went through it and ended up.. here. Well, in a corridor, the same corridor that I presume you were in. And, um, I wandered around for a while until I came across another door. It was lit up, kind of like the one I passed through, but different somehow, so I opened it, and... voila!" She gestured to the room around her.

George sat in silence for a moment, trying to take it all in. He was so relieved that Nina had somehow forgotten what she had been through, that she'd forgotten her brutal death. It made him almost giddy with gratefulness that she was spared those memories. He'd replayed it over and over in his head once he'd found out what those.. bastards.. had done to her and he'd been so scared that her last memories of being alive would be those. He looked around the room, still not quite believing that they were here. That he was with his Nina. "But.. why this room? Why is it _our_ bedroom?" He shifted back so he was sat against the headboard next to his girlfriend and he held her hand in his own.

"I know, it's pretty weird, right? You'd think I'd take any kind of weird in my stride by now, but this.. it did knock me for six a bit. I didn't understand either at first. I just wandered around wondering what the Hell was actually going on, but then.. well, do you remember Lia?" Nina asked, her head turning to face George head on.

"Lia?" George's brow furrowed as if he was trying to remember. "I don't know anyone called Lia. Who is she?"

"Remember when Annie turned into a crime detective and had all those news clippings up on the wall about the Box Tunnel 20?" she watched her boyfriend carefully, knowing that these were not pleasant memories for anyone, especially him, and waited for a response.

"Er-yes." George replied uncomfortably.

"Well one of the pictures was of a young woman called Lia. Annie told us her name once. Don't worry, it didn't register with me either. Even when I met her here, I didn't click straight away." Nina clutched George's hand tighter. "One day there was a knock on the door. I hadn't been here long, maybe a week? So I didn't know how this thing worked. I tried to ignore it but she is one persistent ghost. Anyway, I answered it, and there she was. She came in and explained that she wanted to help me 'come to terms' with this place." she paused briefly and leaned forward, taking note of her boyfriend's furrowed brow, to place a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. "So, I asked her about this room, why it was the same as our bedroom. Apparently, when you.. die.. and you come here, your 'base' is the place where you felt happiest. And because, well, _now_ I know it's because they knew you would be along soon," she shot George a look, "they made a room where we were both happiest. Here. Lia ended up in her childhood bedroom. I've been there. Very pink." She said the last words with disdain causing George to smile, a sight which made Nina's heart swell. "So yeah, I've had teachers here and everything, it's a very helpful place I must admit."

George sank further back into the bed trying to process this barrage of information in relation to a whole world he had just landed in. There was something not quite right about what Nina had just said, something that didn't ring true, but he didn't know what. He sat in silence, racking his brains, until.. "Annie!" he exclaimed loudly, turning once more to look at Nina who was staring warily at George as if he'd gone a bit mental. "Sorry.." he said, reducing the volume of his voice as he plundered on, "I meant.. if what Lia said is true, Annie would have been happy here but she.. they.. it was horrible. You remember what she was like when she came back."

"Oh.. well, that was because Annie didn't come at the right time. They weren't ready for her _and_ she went through someone else's door. Apparently that is a _big_ no-no. And _then_ she came back to get Kemp. Honestly, she was breaking all kinds of rules when she was here. They thought she was planted here by the Devil to mess up the system, that's what I heard anyway." Nina watched as George opened his mouth before shutting it, clearly affronted at this news. "Hey, I'm not saying they were right! I'm just saying that the levels of bureaucracy in this place is _ridiculous_, all sorts of red tape and paperwork and stuff. If you break their rules, they don't like it one bit. I'm pretty sure they have OCD."

"Right.." George said slowly, his puzzled look changing to one of triumph which caused Nina to wear a puzzled expression. "So, if it's your time to pass over, if they prepare your place as the place you were happiest.." he waited for Nina to nod, clearly not understanding where this was going, "Then it definitely _was_ my time to go through the door, because this _was_ the place I was happiest. Yes?"

"Yeah.." Nina agreed, still not knowing what George was getting at.

"So I was right!" George said with a smug look on his face. "And the slaps were _not_ needed! I did the best thing for me _and _the baby!" he paused, looking unsure of himself suddenly. "I'm not sure I like this feeling of me being right and you being wrong.. it feels.. odd."

Nina shoved him, chuckling quietly. "Very funny, George. I told you, I was panicking about Eve." she looked at the television, staring at the sleeping Eve for a long moment, watching her baby's chest rise and fall, her little fists clenched, her tiny mouth slack in the depths of sleep. A sharp pain tugged at her heart so she wrenched her gaze away and looked back to George who was still looking like a little boy lost. "Yes, you were right. You better treasure this feeling because it won't come along often!" she grinned as she leaned forward for another kiss.

They settled back into a comfortable silence and shifted until they were laid on the bed, Nina tucked under George's arm, her head resting on his chest, one of her legs flung over his. They stayed this way for a long while, both still trying to get to grips with the fact that they were together again. Both trying to come to terms with the fact that their daughter wasn't with them. George's mind wandered as he lay there, eyes closed, feeling almost complete with Nina by his side. He thought about Eve. And Annie. Then Tom. McNair. Adam. Mitchell. _Mitchell_! He sat up quickly, inadvertently causing Nina to be thrown across the bed, not noticing her rather cross look. "Mitchell!" he almost shouted, excitement bubbling in his stomach.

"If we're going to get along well and, alongside that, _communicate _effectively, you're going to have to start conversing using more than one word." Nina said, brushing herself down in a stiff manner, still not appreciating being flung across the bed.

"Mitchell!" George repeated, not able to get any other words out. His heart suddenly felt as if it were bursting and he was in a world of his own for a minute. That was, of course, until Nina hit him on the arm. "Ow!" he whined automatically before realizing that actually.. it didn't hurt. He didn't want to dwell on that one more instance of loss of humanity for the minute, Nina looked a bit moody anyway so he should probably address that situation first. "Sorry," he grinned, not looking very apologetic. "I was just thinking.. I mean.. you said you saw Lia. Have you seen anyone else? Have you seen Mitchell?"

The thunderous expression on Nina's face fell instantly and she raised a hand to trace George's cheek. "No, baby. I'm sorry. I haven't seen him." She watched his own expression dropped and he stilled her hand by placing his own on top of it.

"Oh. I thought.. I thought maybe.." he petered off, the buoyant grin now replaced with a slight frown.

"I know, I know. But, you know, he might still be here. I still don't know how all this works. I mean, I'm sure they.. or rather, we.. don't get notifications when other people pass over, so maybe he is here but doesn't know that we're here yet. The only reason I knew that you were coming here was because I was watching you on the screen." She looked intently at George, willing him to feel better, wishing that she had the words to make it happen.

"But you've been here for weeks, wouldn't he know by now that you were here?"

"I don't know, baby. Even if he did, it's not as if me and Mitchell were good mates after.. you know.. everything that happened," Nina looked faintly embarrassed and uncomfortable as she remembered all that had happened between them in the weeks leading to his death. "Maybe he just didn't want to face me. Honestly, George, he might be waiting for you. You don't know." She scooted up closer to him, pressing her body to his in an attempt to comfort him.

"Maybe." George nodded forlornly. "Have you seen any vampires here?"

"Um.. no," Nina replied gently. "I haven't. That doesn't mean there aren't any here though. This is a big, big place, and to be honest, I haven't much felt like exploring. Not beyond here, anyway."

George looked around before resting his eyes back on Nina's, his eyebrows raised. "There's only so much exploring of this room that anyone can do before they've.. you know.. seen it all."

Nina suddenly beamed brightly, taking her turn in sitting up quickly, leaving George to be the one looking on in confusion. What with everything that had happened, she had completely forgotten, but now she knew she had something to distract George from Mitchell, for a short while at least. "Aha," she declared, a hint of laughter in her voice, "That's what _you_ think! Come on, off the bed, I've got something to show you." She waited expectantly while George just looked at her quizzically. "_George_! Come _on_!"

"Is it me, or are you more moody than usual?" George grumbled affectionately as he slid off of the bed.

"I don't think you're far wrong there actually," Nina said quietly, eyes downcast suddenly, the mood in the room changing though George didn't know why. "I _have_ been more moody since I came here, so I asked Lia and a couple of other people about it. It's one of two reasons, and we don't know which. Either it's my maternal instinct, I've been so worried about Eve and because I'm not with her it's exacerbated, so my moods have been more.. interchanging as a result. That's the best option because that means my moods might calm down. The other possibility.." she shuffled closer to George, looking up into his eyes, "is that, because I died so soon after having Eve, my post-pregnancy hormones were still in flux when I died, and if it _is_ that reason, I'm going to be like this.. well.. forever."

"That's okay, baby." George replied in a soothing voice. "Why are you looking so upset about it?"

Nina stayed quiet for a moment, wishing that they'd just went ahead with her exploring plan instead of had this conversation. She sighed. "Because I know that I'm hard work anyway, just as _me_, without this added into the mixture as well. What if you can't handle my added moodiness?"

George laughed causing Nina to look at him with a less than impressed expression which led him to pipe down quickly. "You're so silly. I _love_ you. _All_ of you. And I always will." he bowed his head to give Nina a kiss. "Even if I _do_ crick my neck every time I give you a kiss.." he paused for a beat,"shortarse!"

Nina grinned, loving how George knew how to make her feel better, knew exactly what to say and what to do. She was so very lucky to have him. She stood on her tiptoes and reciprocated the kiss. "Aren't you the romantic?! I'm sure Romeo wouldn't have complained about a cricked neck to Juliet!"

"And I'm sure that Juliet wasn't bordering on dwarf-size!" George laughed, kissing Nina on the forehead as he heard her giggle alongside him.

"How very rude! Oh, and by the way," she pulled back to look at George fully, "I love you too. Always have, always will." She took another step back and grabbed his hand. "Now come ON!" She started pulling him towards the door, both wearing grins on their faces.

* * *

**A/N: If you've read this, I hope you've enjoyed it. Please note that all main characters will be mentioned and/or make an appearance as the story progresses**


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